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Competency-based training approach to saves lives worldwide

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, September 3, 2004

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In an effort to reduce maternal and newborn deaths in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the Baltimore, MD-based, Maternal and Neonatal Health (MNH) program is using competency-based training to teach healthcare professionals the skills necessary to keep new moms and babies healthy. MNH is the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID's) leading program for reducing infant and maternal mortality in developing countries. The program sends participants to a training site for a three-week, hands-on-training intensive program, titled, "learning by doing." There, participants receive training for clinical, technical, and communication skills utilizing the following techniques:

Role playing: Role playing aids in decision-making skills
Standardization: Standardization is the process of breaking down a procedure step-by-step in order to analyze it closely, helping participants learn the best and safest way to perform the procedure
Checklists: Participants use checklists to guide them in learning each skill; the same checklists are used in the competency evaluation process later

Participants in the MNH program undergo rigorous clinical training with a heavy reliance on communication among students and trainers. The program matches up one trainer with up to four participants, with the expectation that both participants and trainers will aid in the constant evaluation of skills.

Source: Maternal & Neonatal Health: Solutions for Survival

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